ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's volleyball team was downed in five sets by State University of New York Geneseo, 3-2 (25-13, 22-25, 25-19, 23-25, 16-14), this afternoon at the UR Invitational hosted by University of Rochester at Louis Alexander Palestra in Rochester, N.Y.
The Lyons dip to 4-6 on the season, while the Knights improve to 4-5.
Wheaton hit .170 for the match, while Geneseo posted a .222 hitting clip that included a .417 third set and .333 in the fifth frame.
Senior outside hitter Celina Henn (Atwater, Calif.) and junior right side hitter Mary Caroline Mazzanti (New Orleans, La.) each put down 13 kills to lead all players. Henn added eight digs, an ace and a block assist to go with a .286 hitting mark for the Lyons, while Mazanti hit .267 and added a dig. Senior outside hitter Sydney Lyon (Weston, Conn.) swung for 11 kills on a .292 hitting rate in addition to eight digs and an ace, while junior libero Jackie Hochberg (Tampa, Fla.) got down for 20 digs and fired a season-high six aces. Junior setter Ajsa Orbán (Budapest, Hungary) set for 24 assists and picked up three digs.
Sophomore middle blocker Ayla Pas'cal (Skaneateles, N.Y.) spiked for 11 kills, fueled by a .474 hitting percentage and added a dig for Geneseo, while sophomore outside hitter Kate Barba (Huntington, N.Y.) put away 10 kills on a .292 hitting clip, fired four aces and picked up nine digs. Junior outside hitter Sydney Leigh-Manuell (Blue Point, N.Y.) contributed with 10 kills, three digs and an ace and senior setter Carolyn Mack (Rochester, N.Y.) posted a double-double of 19 assists and 12 digs to go with an ace. Junior defensive specialist Zooey Gagnier (Penfield, N.Y.) scooped up a match-high 26 digs and served up five aces.
The Knights raced out to a commanding 17-5 advantage to open the match, behind three kills from Leigh-Menuell and a trio of aces from Barba. Wheaton scored six of the next seven points, including a kill and an ace from Henn, to cut the deficit to 18-11. Geneseo closed out the set for a 1-0 match lead on a 7-2 run, bolstered by two kills apiece from Barba and Pas'cal.
The Knights took a 9-5 lead, following a kill from Leigh-Manuell to open the second frame. The Lyons scored four of the next five to claw within 10-9 and stayed within a point at 16-15. Geneseo increased its lead to 18-15 after a kill from junior middle blocker Cory Elder (Rochester, N.Y.), before Wheaton answered with five unanswered points, capped by two kills from senior middle hitter Julia Wingler (Fuquay Varina, N.C.), to take a 20-18 lead. The Knights pulled even on a McKenna Callari (Rochester, N.Y.) ace, but the Lyons closed out the frame with a 5-2 spurt, capped by a kill from Mazzanti to knot the match at 1-1.
Geneseo opened a 14-9 margin in the third set and later owned a 21-16 lead after a kill from Pas'cal. Wheaton scored the next three points to pull within 21-19, but the Knights countered with four unanswered points, including a pair of kills from junior right side hitter Peyton Cole (Lowville, N.Y.) to take the set at 25-19 for a 2-1 match lead.
Edler put down a kill to give Geneseo a 10-5 margin early in the fourth set. The Lyons evened the frame after putting together an 8-3 stretch, capped by a Lyon kill to make it 13-13. Mack dumped a kill and fired an ace during a 7-2 burst to reclaim the lead at 20-15 for the Knights. Wheaton wasn't finished, ripping off eight of the next nine points to pull ahead at 23-21. The next two points belonged to Geneseo for a 23-23 tie, but the Lyons closed out the set to force a fifth frame with the next two scores.
Neither team could be stopped in the deciding set with each of them committing just one attack error. The Lyons hit a formidable .478 for the frame with 12 of their 14 points resulting from a kill, but the Knights hung on for the set and the match. Gagnier fired three aces and Geneseo scored the first five points of the set. The Knights later owned an 11-7 margin, before Wheaton tallied the next three, including a pair of kills from Henn, to close within 11-10. The Knights scored three of the next four points, including a kill from sophomore setter Gianna Lucchi (Merrick, N.Y.) to give them match point at 14-11. The Lyons battled back and knotted the set at 14-14 on an ace from Hochberg, but kills from Leigh-Manuell and Cole gave the match to Geneseo.
Wheaton will not be in action again until Saturday, September 20 when it faces Gordon College in its home opener at 11:00 a.m. in Emerson Gymnasium, while the Knights take on Alfred State College in Buffalo, N.Y. at 5:00 p.m. on September 19.
